Digital cameras typically include a graphic user interface (GUI) to enable various camera modes and features to be selected. In some digital cameras, a touch-screen color LCD display is used to display various control elements which can be selected by a user in order to modify the camera mode or select various camera features. For example, the KODAK SLICE Digital Camera can provide a video trimming feature which enables videos captured by the digital camera to be shortened. This is accomplished using the camera's 3.5 inch diagonal touch screen user interface to first select a trimming mode by touching an icon associated with the trimming feature, and then sliding a finger along a timeline to select a start frame, and to then select an end frame.
The KODAK SLICE Digital Camera's touch screen user interface can also be used to enter text, such as e-mail addresses and tags. This is accomplished by first selecting a text entry mode, which displays an entire keyboard of characters, and then touching the keyboard characters in order to enter a text string.
It is desirable for the digital camera to be very compact and low cost. This may limit the size of the LCD display that can be used in such digital cameras. Also, in some cases it is desirable to provide a camera capable of underwater operation. This may require that the user interface be provided using a small number of waterproof buttons or switches, rather than a touch screen, since the touch screen may not operate properly underwater.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,350 to Hekmatpour et al., entitled “Compositer interface for arranging the components of special effects for a motion picture production,” discloses a user interface for editing digital video sequences. The user interface provides various functions including a capability to trim a digital video sequence. The user interface requires the use of a pointing device such as a mouse, and would not be appropriate for use on a digital camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,481 to Brown et al., entitled “Data entry apparatus and method,” discloses a method for entering text strings on portable electronic devices such as pagers. A set of available characters are displayed in three rows. A controller having an up tab, a down tab, a left tab and a right tab are used to select a particular character for insertion into the text string. This method is not well-suited for use on devices having small displays because the entire row of characters must be presented on the display.
There remains a need to provide a user interface using a limited size image display, and a limited number of user controls, which can nevertheless provide for advanced functions, including video trimming and text entry.